Mataderos: a neighborhood away from the classic tourist circuit that you need to know

Time Out

30-07-2025

Some neighborhoods are aspirational, like Palermo. But others stand out for their identity traits, customs, century-old traditions, and architectural icons. Identity traits that can turn a neighborhood into a republic, as the nickname well earned by this area — part of Commune 9, west of the Buenos Aires map and bounded by Emilio Castro, Escalada, Eva Perón, and General Paz avenues — shows. Here is 'the Republic of Mataderos,' as locals call it, the neighborhood with the most attended fair of all, an intense cultural life, and a gastronomic scene that features both classic staples and new proposals.
Why is it called Mataderos?
Its name originates around the meat industry, when the first slaughterhouses began to be built in 1889. However, before the now former Livestock Market — which operated there for 122 years and supplied meat to the entire city — the official name of the neighborhood was Nueva Chicago. Historians say this was due to the resemblance some notable figures saw in the area, like Dr. Carlos Malbrán, a pioneer of medicine in Argentina, to one of the most famous North American cities in Illinois, where meat activity also predominates. Finally, in the early 20th century, with the former Livestock Market as the epicenter, the neighborhood changed its name to Mataderos.
A little over three years ago, the market grounds closed permanently and livestock commerce operations moved to a new site in Cañuelas. Since then, the more than 32 hectares and their surroundings were left abandoned, until last April when works began to recover Mataderos' historic center. So today, anyone visiting the fair on a Sunday and walking around will find ongoing construction, which in different phases — according to the Buenos Aires Ministry of Public Space and Urban Hygiene — aims to recover and enhance Mataderos' historic center. More green spaces, wider sidewalks, new streetlights, and trees.
When is the Mataderos Fair?
This year the fair celebrates its 39th anniversary. It runs every Sunday and national holiday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Lisandro de la Torre Avenue and Avenida de los Corrales. It's one of the best Sunday antidotes, always crowded with tourists and locals. Among the 500 stands at the fair, you can find everything: artisans selling mate gourds, knives, textiles, typical leather goods, and silverware. There are also free workshops in folk dancing, guitar, weaving, and a food market where you can try everything from the best grilled meat cuts to regional dishes like locro, tamales, and also choripanes and pastelitos.
People dance in the street; guest artists perform live on the iconic fair stage. There's plenty of space to dance and move, and spontaneous guitar sessions are among tourists' favorite gatherings. Another feature of the fair is the friendly vibe in a relaxed, no-pretense atmosphere. To get there, about a dozen bus lines serve the area. By car, the best route from downtown Buenos Aires is via the 25 de Mayo Highway to the Escalada street exit.
What is Mataderos like when there's no fair?
It's a quiet neighborhood, and although most buildings are low-rise, the real estate boom has reached the area and is changing its look. Besides mostly low buildings, more and more commercial premises are opening, many dedicated to gastronomy. Fun fact: when Nueva Chicago, the football club founded in 1911, plays, Mataderos is covered in green and black flags and jerseys — the club's colors — and naturally, the neighborhood's calm changes.
What to do in Mataderos?
Here's a list of some places worth visiting on a weekend tour:
Criollo Museum of Los Corrales. Sundays are ideal to visit it combined with the fair. This museum, declared a National Historic Monument, is close to the sculpture 'El Resero' and is key to understanding the expression of criollo culture within the neighborhood. It has 6 rooms with exhibits of gaucho garments, military uniforms, weapons, and stuffed animals. You can also see an old pulpería (rural tavern), a chapel, the stable, and the well courtyard.
Eat pizza at El Cedrón. Another neighborhood emblem, a bastion of pizzeria gastronomy with 90 years of history. If you go to Mataderos, this is a must-visit, so much that it was declared a site of cultural interest. It's always busy but worth the wait. At El Cedrón, waiters greet you, shout orders, and come and go with trays of pan-style pizzas. The mozzarella pizzas are the most popular and generous. But for several years now, the place at Alberdi 6101 has also become famous for its vegetable pizza, which became a hit. If you want something sweet, go for a slice of ricotta pie.
Before El Cedrón occupied that corner, the place at Alberdi and Murguiondo was called Primera Curva, a bodegón named after the tram curves in that Mataderos area.
Notable Bars. The oldest is Bar Oviedo, founded in 1900, but there is also Bar del Glorias, so named because it operates within the Club Glorias Argentinas, where volleyball is a top sport. Bar del Glorias organizes tango shows with a busy calendar, and the kitchen is highly recommended. The dishes are homemade with generous portions, and you can eat very well for less than 10,000 pesos including a drink — a true luxury in Mataderos.
The bar's atmosphere is another plus, with a tango vibe and walls covered with paintings and newspaper clippings featuring famous visitors. With some patience and curiosity, you can even find an article with a photo of a young Willem Dafoe, confirming that the actor who played Spider-Man's villain once visited the place.
Alberdi Shopping Center. 'Shop in your neighborhood.' Plain and simple. That's the social media motto of this commercial center where locals shop. Along several blocks of Alberdi Avenue, there are shops in various categories, with good prices, selling clothes, accessories, bazaars, jewelry, tech, and also studios offering drawing, dance, and astrology classes.
Watch a show at Cine Teatro El Plata. The Mataderos cinema theater at Juan Bautista Alberdi 5765 is part of Buenos Aires' Theater Complex programming, and was restored by locals after 24 years abandoned. Today, it is a cultural heritage and a source of pride for the neighborhood. There is also music with 'Milonga en El Plata' on Friday, June 27, in the cinema lobby, where locals and tourists can come to dance.
Grills and bodegones. Plenty of places to sit down with family or friends for a tasty asado or good bodegón dish. There is La Ochavita, where El Tano and Mariana invite you to try homemade food. A must-try on the go is their milanesa sandwich, said by social media users to be 50 centimeters long. One of the stars is their clay oven, where dishes like osso buco are cooked slowly for more than seven hours and served with ham and cheese sorrentinos in a casserole. Open Wednesday to Saturday 8 p.m.–11 p.m., and Sundays 12 p.m.–3 p.m. Reservations recommended. Address: Piedras 1399.
Another option is Corrales restaurant, open every lunch, offering seafood, pasta, grilled dishes, and chef's specialties. We recommend hearing the story of Jorge, its owner, and trying the daily specials.
One of the most popular places is Los Cabritos, a grill proudly flying the Argentine cockade. 'Founded in 1979, it became one of the most representative businesses in the Republic of Mataderos,' reads a social media statement. 'In 2015, when the employer abandoned the business, the workers formed a cooperative to defend and recover our jobs.' In May, the cooperative celebrated its 10th anniversary. To add another meat specialist, visit Los Tulumbanos grill, with cuts like asado, entraña, tenderloin, offal, and quick dishes — all perfect for sharing.
Burger, snacks, and beer on Emilio Castro. Over a dozen options stretch along Emilio Castro Avenue, bordering Liniers, where in recent years breweries, restaurants, cafés, and pastry shops have opened. Names like Cervelar, Kurz, Naón Argentina, Ayulem, Tostado, Rusticana Bar, Taco Box, and Prieto Naón, among many others, offer plenty to choose from.
The birthplace of Justo Suárez. Mataderos has legendary names, like the Argentine boxing world champion nicknamed 'The Little Bull of Mataderos' because of his origin. In his honor, there is a street, a small square, and a social housing neighborhood bearing his name. There's also a bust inside El Cedrón pizzeria, and among the greatest Argentine literature figures, Julio Cortázar was inspired by him to write the short story 'Torito.'